Carl j



(No Model.)

0. J. EHBETS. SAFETY DEVICE FOR BREAKDOWN GUNS.

No. 550,261. Patented Nov. 26, 1895.

mime-9.96s. Invader. azww fi f UN1TTD STATES PATENT 011111012.

CARL .I. EHBETS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR-TO THE COLTS PATEN" FIRE ARMS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR BREAKDOWN GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 550,261, dated November 26, 1895. Application filed April 10, 1893. Serial No- 469,766- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CARL J. EHBETs, a citizenof the United States, residing in Hartford,

in the county of Hartford and State of Gennecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gun-Locks, of which the following is a specification. 4

My invention relates to the lock mechanism of guns with concealed hammers, commonly called hammerless guns, and is applicable to either single, double,or multi barreled ones. This class of guns is generally provided with a safety device for locking the firing mechanism. This safety-lock is usually actuated so as to become operative by the act of unlocking the breech previous to opening it, and before the gun can be fired the safetydock has to be moved out of action. A lock thus automatically actuated is necessary for the safe manipulation of this class of guns, and in their general use the special movement required before firing is not objectionable, but at times when many shots are to be fired in rapid succession it is desirable to interrupt the automatic action of the safety-lock.

The object of my invention is to provide a safety-lock which may at will be made automatically operative or not,the invention being particularly stated in the claims hereinafter following and forming a part of this specification, and one embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which.

Figure 1 is a plan of part of the breechframe of a double-barreled breakdown gun with the locks and stock removed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same parts with the top lever at rest and triggers unlocked for firing. Fig. 3 is a plan of the trigger-plate with the triggers as in Fig. 2, and a part of the breech-frame is shown in a horizontal section on a line with the top of the action-bolt. Fig. at is a plan of the tang, showing the position of the safety-indicator when the triggers are locked. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through parts of the locking mechanism.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The breech-frame a, with the recoil-shields b, is recessed at c for the lock, and the actionbolt (Z works in a horizontal mortise in the frame. The tang e extends rearward from the frame, and on it is the top lever f, connected with the action-bolt d by the actionpost g, a cam-lug on which, fitting in a recess in the action-bolt,causes the latter to be drawn to the rear when the top lever is turned to the right, as in unlocking the breech. From the bottom of the frame the trigger-plate h extends rearward and in itthe triggers i I are hung. In rear of these the lever j is hung by a pivot to the trigger-plate and extends upward into a longitudinal slot in the tang, where it is fitted between two lugs depending from the indicator is. The latter slides on the top of the tang and is yieldingly held in either its forward or rearward position by a spring under the tang. In its forward position, as in Figs. 1 and 2, the indicator conceals, while in its rearward position it uncovers, the index safe on the tang, as shown in Fig. 4c and in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Over and between the triggers the lockingbar Z is arranged, its forward part supported in a horizontal bearing in the lug on the triggerplate, its rear end pivotally connected to the lever j. A stud m protrudes from each side of the bar Z over the rear parts of the triggers, so that if the indicator 7c, lever j, and bar Z are in their forward position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the triggers are free to be moved; but if the bar Z, lever, and indicator are moved to the rear the studs m lock the triggers, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. This rearward movement is communicated to the bar Z by the unlocking movement of the action-bolt. When the latter is forced rearward by the turning of the top lever, it pushes back the bar I, the front end of which is just in rear of it. To unlock the triggers the indicator 7c is pushed forward. This construction so far does not vary much from the usual looking devices; but in order to be able to interrupt the connection between the action-bolt and the locking-bar I provide a joint n in the latter just in front of its bearing and place a finger-piece 0 vertically below the locking-bar and so that its top stands under the bar forward of the joint, while its lower end protrudes from the frame convenient to the finger at the trigger, Figs. 2 and 5. In its normal position the short piece which is jointed to the bar Z at n stands horizontal and its rounded end is opposite to a slight recess in the rear face of the action-bolt, so that the latter in its rearward movement does not tend to raise this part of the bar, but pushes it back, and after the joint has entered the bearing in the lug this keeps it straight. The finger-piece 0,a cylindrical rod, its lower part reduced in diameter to form a shoulder, its top slightly hollowed to allow the piece at to-rest therein, is not attached to the latter nor to the bar Z, but it is split in a part of its length and yieldingly clings to its seat with enough friction to remain in either position. WVhen it is pushed up,with the parts as in Figs. 5, 2, and 3, it raises the front end of the bar Z, so as to stand inclining forward and upward, and as a groove is cut in the upper edge of the action-bolt the latter can now be moved without affecting the bar Z. As long as the parts stay in this position,t he triggers remain unlocked and the indicator forward.

In order to restore the automatic action of the safety-lock, it is only necessary to push the indicator to its rear position, thus drawing the locking-bar rearward, locking the triggers, and also straightening out the piece jointed to the bar as the joint a enters the bearing in the lug,the top edge of this opening being beveled to facilitate this action. Thus straightened, the point of the bar resumes its normal position in the path of the action-bolt when next the indicator is pushed forward. As the joint or stands entirely within the bearing when the parts are in the safe or locked position, the jointed part of the bar cannot be turned'up in this position.

I have shown the finger-piece 0 as passing through the trigger-guard stud, but any other convenient position will do, and it is evident that the rearward movement of the lockingbar may be effected directly by the rotary movement of the action-post by a cam projection on the latter. 7

lVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a breech-loadin g gun, the combination of a breech-lockin g mechanism with a triggerlocking mechanism having a jointed connection located between the two locking mechanisms and operated by the breech-locking mechanism to actuate the trigger-locking mechanism to lock the triggers.

2. In a breech-loading gun, the combination of breech-locking mechanism, trigger-locking mechanism including a jointed lever, one end of said lever engaging with the breech-locking mechanism and the other end thereof connected with the trigger-locking mechanism, and a device operating to throw one end of said lever out of engagement with the breechlocking mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a breech-loading gun, the combination of breech-lockin g mechanism, trigger-locking mechanism having a jointed connection located between the two locking mechanisms at will which is brought into and thrown out of engagement with. the breech-locking mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a breech-loading gun,the combination of breech -locking mechanism, trigger-locking mechanism, and a jointed lever, one end of which is connected with the trigger-locking mechanism and the other end of which is brought into engagement with the breech locking mechanism to actuate the triggerlocking mechanism to lock the trigger.

5. In a breech-loading gun, the combination of breech-lockin g mechanism, trigger-locking mechanism, and a jointed connection which is brought into engagement with the breechlocking mechanism when the trigger-lockin g mechanism is operated to unlock the triggers, and means to throw said device out of engagement with the breech-locking mechanism without looking the triggers.

6. In a breech-loadin g gun,the combination, of the trigger-locking bar, one end connected to a lever controlling an indicator on the frame, the other supported in line with the breech-locking'bolt, with a connecting piece between the said bar and the said bolt-,adapted to be thrown out of engagement at will with the bolt, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a break-down gun, the combination, of the trigger-locking bar pivotally connected to the lever controlling an indicatoron the frame, with the connecting piece jointed to said bar between it and the breech-locking bolt, and a finger piece by which said connecting piece may be thrown out of engagement with the breech-locking bolt, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. In a break-down gun, the combination, of the trigger-locking bar pivoted at one end to the lever controlling an indicator of the frame, at the other end supported in a bearing above the triggers, with the connecting piece jointed to said bar in front of the bearing and in the path of the breech-locking bolt, and a finger piece extending from the said bar downward through the trigger guard stud,by which said connecting piece may be thrown out of engagement with the breech-locking bolt, substantially as described.

CARL .I. EHBETS.

WVitnesses:

.TAs. S. BRYANT, V. J. MALoNEY. 

